president, barack obama. sophie, thank you for joining us. you are a former correspondent in johannesburg and yourself had a chance to meet and interview nelson mandela several times. do you have a particular memory or something about him that strikes you the most? all at theuck us time was his extraordinary warmth. he clearly loved human company it was very striking. after 27 years in prison he had been deprived of the things that normal family life means to any political leader. when he remembers sitting under a tree in his garden for a press conference, that is the kind of thing he would do, sit on a chair with the press sitting on the grass around him. it was not dreamed up by some public relations specialist. he had a natural authority for leadership and he enjoyed the presidents of other people. i think that that came up, time and time again, we all had the real privilege, crosses warmth and enjoyment of company. for foreign company correspondents. he was having a lovely time telling stories about his childhood and how they used to stea